The Beta Test Performance Style

I have no real goal behind writing this site. I’m not trying to convince anyone that I have the answers regarding how magic should be presented. I’m just documenting my journey in magic and the things that have worked for me. In fact, I would prefer the standard style of performing magic remain the standard. The meaningless effects, the dull routines, the scripted jokes… if that’s the standard, then the standard is something I can easily exceed when I perform. (And if you don’t think that’s the standard, then you’re oblivious.)

If I did have a goal of some sort, it would be to encourage the people who do resonate with this style of magic to actually perform more. I think there’s fucking far too much talking about magic online—that’s almost what the hobby of magic has become: yakking with other magicians online rather than taking the risk of trying to enchant someone in real life.

The Beta Test Performing Style is a training-wheels performing style that can get you off Facebook, off the magic café, and off YouTube and out showing people stuff.

It’s similar to the Peek Backstage style, but it’s even one more layer removed, so you have one more layer of self-preservation for those of you who are scared of performing.

In the Peek Backstage style, the idea is that you want to get their feedback for “something you’re working on.”

With the Beta Test style, you say something like, “Could I get your help with something? I’ve been asked to test out a new trick on a few people. Can I try it with you?”

Now, this assumes you’re saying it to someone who already knows you have an interest in magic. If you were just approaching someone at a bar or café or something, then you’d need to do a little more groundwork first.

This performance style is so low stakes that even the most pathetic of you can use it without feeling like you’re making yourself vulnerable in any way.

The subtext is: “This isn’t my idea, someone else asked me to do it. This isn’t my trick, it’s another guy’s trick that I’m testing for him.”

Your ego is not on the line at all. If they say the trick sucks, then you can be like, “Yeah, it does! I can’t wait to tell that other guy who is not me that his trick sucks!”

I hope you see how low pressure this is and that this can get some of you on the road to performing more. Don’t cloak yourself in this style all the time. As I said, use it as training wheels. Once you realize people are happy to watch something interesting and happy to engage with you via magic, then you can transition on to other styles.

Even if you’re someone who finds it easy to perform, there are a couple benefits of this style that you can take advantage of.

First, it broadens the world of magic for the person you’re performing for. It’s not just you learning tricks out of books or on YouTube. You’re testing out a trick for someone else. Who is this person? How did you two link up? From there, you can further broaden the scope of the magic world to talk about things like conventions and mentors and secret organizations and stuff like that.

Second, it frees up the spectator to be a little more generous with their criticism. If you say, “This is something I’m working on,” the majority of people will still be hesitant to tell you how they really feel—especially if you’re performing for friends or family. But if you tell them you’re testing out something for someone else, they usually feel a little more free to tell you what they really think, which can be helfpul when you’re testing something new.

There you go, hopefully you’ll find this of some use and the Beta Test Performing Style will get you out performing and transform you from a magic beta virgin to a magic Chad like myself.